HACAN (The Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) is the key lobby group against noise pollution from Heathrow. Their voice counts in the debate over Heathrow flight patterns and to-date they have remained silent about the test patterns that have recent been employed over Brockley in the early mornings. HACAN's silence has been in stark contrast to the planes, which have kept many BCers awake (see here and here).

So Brockley campaigner Elise has turned her bloodshot gaze upon them. She reports:

I have spoken with the head of HACAN who I am pleased to hear confirm that they say:"HACAN will not support the continuation of any scheme beyond the end of March that disbenefits any residents. And without our support, the airport authorities will not introduce a scheme." We, therefore, need to demonstrate to HACAN (as well as BAA and our councillors etc) that we are suffering and do not want the scheme to be implemented permanently beyond March. You can email HACAN to register your view at info@hacan.org.uk or johnstewart2@btconnect.comA public meeting has also been arranged on March 8th by BAA and HACAN to consult on the issue of the trial. This is our chance to give our view and be counted. Please attend if you can: 7.30-9.00pm at Greenwich and Southwark Samaritans, 1-5 Angus Street, London SE14 6LU. Finally, the government is inviting consultation on the issue of night flights generally: email your view to night.noise@dft.gsi.gov.uk

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comments:

Yes it's great when minority pressure groups get together to destroy our economy. The only way the country will get out of the shocking state of affairs we're in is through trade, and that includes having Heathrow as Europe's main hub-airport. Let's build the third runway and have done with it.

The problem is the airports will always want greater expansion, more routes, and more routes = more money. that is the nature of the beast, without increasing rotes they cannot increase profits. The question is when will we be able to say no to more flights until they can reduce the noise problem? the flight creep has already taken over most of south london.

Can't tell if you're purposely trolling or not... If not, why not flatten all the houses in South London and we can build loads of runways and the 'economy' will enable us all to live like millionaires and thus we'll all live happily ever after!

Thomas - if all we need to do is knock down all the other houses in SE london and then I'll be a millionaire, then I'm all in favour of it.In the meantime, the "economy" pays me "money" which I use to buy "things" and I'm also in favour of helping it grow if there is only a marginal negative impact on people.

Flight paths should be variable - there is no need to run them all over the same part of London this far out from Heathrow. Everyone accepts there is noise in London, but constant, concentrated noise should not just be accepted as normal this far out from the airport.

Look at the maps out there, they are variable. Most of the per 6am fights come from the east, so they will always be approaching Heathrow from that direction. Twas ever thus. I suspect that because you have been told a trial is going on, you're now more aware of the flights than you were before. Forget about them, the problem will go away. :)

BAA has finally stopped claiming that “nothing haschanged in the last 40 yrs” and has now admitted that there has been asignificant increase in aircraft (and, therefore, aircraft noise) over Brockleysince the trial began. The trial shouldonly make a difference from 4.30am-6am every other week. NATS has said it will investigate why thenoise is continuing after 6am and throughout the day to 11pm, and why it is noton a strictly week-on-week off basis. They acknowledge this to be the case.

BAA has finally stopped claiming that “nothing has changed in the last 40 yrs” and has now admitted that there has been a significant increase in aircraft (and, therefore, aircraft noise) over Brockley since the trial began. The trial should only make a difference from 4.30am-6am every other week. NATS has said it will investigate why the noise is continuing after 6am and throughout the day to 11pm, and why it is not on a strictly week-on-week off basis. They acknowledge this to be the case.